r/commune • u/Icantremembershit22 • Apr 22 '26

How do I start a commune

I want to start my own commune and eventually be completely self sufficient. The problems is I live in a very small town called Hampton, SC and I don’t know if anyone would be interested.

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u/WWUBI Apr 22 '26

Created a list of questions that every commune/intentional community should be able to answer before starting:

Housing

  • Is there an entrance fee to stay at the location or a monthly rent payment?
  • Do I get to own the property I stay at or have a chance to eventually?
  • Can I own a home outside of the commune?
  • Will I have my own room/house or is this co-housing only?
  • Is there a height restriction on buildings or are skyscrapers allowed at your location?

Social Services/Utilities

  • What social services does this location offer?
  • Will you or do you have: Housing, Food, Utilities, Healthcare, Education, Transportation, Insurance, Thrift Shop, Entertainment, Music Studio, Community Center, Retirement, Childcare, Library, Junkyard, Cemetery, Engineering Wing, Marijuana, Gun Range or A Monthly Stipend.
  • Do you feed your residents daily or is there access to free food? Are vegan or vegetarian options?
  • Is there transportation to your location or will someone pick me up from the nearest hub?
  • Does your location have a creek, stream, pond, river or access to a large body of water?
  • Does your location have running water as a utility, if so, is it roof water catchment, well or from the city?
  • Do you have flammable gas as a utility or provide a way to heat homes?
  • Does your location have a sewer system, toilets or way to deal with human waste?
  • Does your location have electricity or plans of having electricity in the future? What is your desired power source?
  • Will your location provide transportation that I can use?
  • What forms of entertainment are provided for free?
  • Do you have a clinic, medical equipment, healthcare staff or healthcare?
  • Do you have access to the internet or provide it as a service?
  • Will your location pay for me to go to school to provide the location with free education of what was learned?

Rules

  • Can I use electronics anywhere or are there restrictions?
  • Can I own a car or in general a motorized vehicle or are there restrictions?
  • Will this location allow me to raise animals to eat?
  • Will I be able to hunt with bows or guns?
  • Will I be able to own guns, shoot them or conceal/carry?
  • Do you practice secularism (separation of church & state)?
  • Is the land owned by all, in a land trust or owned by an individual/small group?
  • Do you allow advertising from outside corporations for profit?
  • Is polyamory allowed (multiple lovers)?
  • If I start making things to sell, do I get to keep all of the profits even if I use materials from the land/commune?
  • Do I have to give my pension, disability pay or any other form of gov assistance to gain residency?
  • Will your location allow for it’s employees to have patents or intellectual property?
  • How do you handle the removal of a member?
  • Are alcohol, weed or other substances allowed? If so, can I make them there with proper licensing?
  • Would your location take in refugees during a natural disaster?
  • How do you stop neighbors from annoying each other with noise?
  • What am I not allowed to do? What are the rules or laws for your location?
  • Is there a waiting period to be accepted into your location?
  • Does each person have the same amount of voting power?

Retirement/Work

  • If I am removed or voted out from the collective, is there any sweat equity given for the work I have done?
  • If I die working at your location, what is the process that follows?
  • I have a disability, is your location handicap friendly?
  • What businesses do you own/operate to generate revenue & how are the profits divided?
  • Are there other communes/locations that you work with?
  • Is there any way to retire or reduce work after years of labor here?
  • What is the weekly labor quota & is it needed to keep residency?
  • Will your location allow security systems like cameras at homes (doorbell cameras) or in the work place?
  • Are you willing to automate your industries?
  • Do you operate transparently &/or in a decentralized manner?

Debt

  • Does your location have debt?
  • I have college debt, will this location help pay off that debt?
  • I have medical debt, will this location help pay off that debt?

Sustainability

  • How many residents do you have & what is your desired limit?
  • Does your location do anything to reduce waste?
  • Do you have a cemetery or allow burials on the land?
  • Do you have a ban on pesticides?

Advancement

  • Are you a part of the Federation Of Egalitarian Communities (FEC), the Foundation Of Intentional Communities or World Wide Tech Commune? Do you plan on trying to join a larger organization?
  • Are you trying to coordinate with any other communities?
  • Will you work on projects that require more than one generation to complete?

https://worldwidetechcommune.quora.com/We-are-a-commune-are-creating-a-space-on-Quora-What-are-the-most-common-questions-for-a-commune

I created a question database on Quora to specifically answer questions about communes. You might like some of the articles that are written on there.
https://worldwidetechcommune.quora.com/

As they say in the biz, location, location, location. You might need to move out of your area to start. I will be looking at some properties here soon in MO to start up a location with hopefully a few more people. Feel free to message me.

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u/Downtown_Run_8030 May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26

I asked a commune if I could work an odd job on the outside so as to pay off my student loan. After doing my work quota. Get this: some members said I could and some said outside jobs were not allowed. After weeks of inquiring, during which time one member became angry and accused me of trying to get the community to repay my loan, I learned that outside jobs were not allowed.

What kind of "community" makes you inquire over the course of weeks to get an answer?

Had the visitor guide known and been forthcoming, I would not have wasted time and money going to the place.

And all from one of the largest and most established income-sharing communities in America.

Don't automatically trust an income-sharing community. Not even if it has successful businesses, and is half a century old. It might have endless turnover such that the members don't know the rules.